Topic of Lecture: Environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water resources

Time of Lecture: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 3: 00 - 5:00 p.m.

Location of Lecture: SWPU Mingbian Building D404

Lecturer: Daniel S. Alessi

Introduction to the Lecturer:

Daniel S. Alessi, postdoc of Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Ph.D. of University of Notre Dame, associate professor of Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, representative of Water Resource Hub of Encana, an energy producer in Canada, member of the editorial boards ofMarine and Petroleum GeologyandChemical Geology, two major petroleum geology journals, and winner of the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award. Dr. Alessi has published more than 40 papers on SCI journals, including top-rankingProceedings of the National Academy of Science,Environmental Science & Technology, andGeochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta.

Description of Lecture：

The combination of horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing has allowed for the recovery of previously inaccessible hydrocarbon resources in the United States, China,Canada, and other countries.While the application of this technology has expanded rapidly in the past decade, relatively less research has been conducted to understand its impact on water resources and aquatic ecosystems.In this presentation, I will discuss ongoing collaborative research at the University of Alberta to investigate the water cycle of hydraulic fracturing.Specific topics to be covered include (1) regional issues of water use and scarcity, (2)deconvoluting the complex chemistry and toxicity of hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water, and (3) the impacts of microbial activity on the hydraulic fracturing water cycle.

Highlighted Publications:

1. Alessi, D. S., Lezama-Pacheco, J. S., Janot, N., Suvorova,et al.Environmental Science & Technology,2014,48.

2. Alessi, D. S., Lezama-Pacheco, J. S., Stubbs, J. E., Janousch, M., Bargaret al.Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta,2014,131.

3. Alessi, D. S.,Uster, B., Veeramani et al.Environmental Science & Technology,2012,46.

4. Alessi, D. S., Walsh, D. M.,Fein, J. B.Chemical Geology,2011,280.

5. Bargar, J. R., Williams, K. H., Campbell, K. M., Long, P. E., Stubbs, J.E., Suvorova, E., Lezama-Pacheco, J. S., Alessi, D. S.et al.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,2013,110.

6. He, Y., Flynn, S. L., Folkerts, E., Yang, Y., Ruan, D., Alessi, D. S.et al.Water Research,2017,114.

Host Organizations: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, SWPU SWPU Science and Technology Department